NHS ESOL department visits Boundary Street Elementary

Isabel Altamirano and Jeremiah Hannor making puppets in Jan Davenport’s second-grade class.

https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_nhsesolboundary01.jpgIsabel Altamirano and Jeremiah Hannor making puppets in Jan Davenport’s second-grade class. Courtesy photos

Jovanny Benitez and Jose Hernandez help Rebecca Brady’s fifth-grade students put their ideas in writing.

https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_nhsesolboundary04.jpgJovanny Benitez and Jose Hernandez help Rebecca Brady’s fifth-grade students put their ideas in writing. Courtesy photos

Jennifer Sanchez and JayVion Dawkins making jack-o-lanterns in Tonya Springer’s kindergarten class.

https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_nhsesolboundary02.jpgJennifer Sanchez and JayVion Dawkins making jack-o-lanterns in Tonya Springer’s kindergarten class. Courtesy photos

Jan Davenport helps Zachery Bell with spider puppets.

https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_nhsesolboundary03.jpgJan Davenport helps Zachery Bell with spider puppets. Courtesy photos

NEWBERRY — Newberry High School’s ESOL department had its first “Readers to Readers” of the 2015-16 school year on Oct. 15 at Boundary Street Elementary School.

This program unites high school with a local elementary school when it provides two high school ESOL students per six elementary classes once a month. During each visit, the high school students read books to the elementary students.

Next the high school students provide and facilitate a grade-appropriate activity in which the elementary students participate.

High School student Isabel Altamirano Rodriguez read The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle to Aja Jackson’s first-grade class and Jan Davenport’s second-grade class.

During the follow-up activity, BSE students made spider puppets. Jovanny Benitez and Jose Hernandez read Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak to Rebecca Brady’s fifth-grade class and Carla Livingston’s third-grade class.

Next, the younger students used their own imaginations to develop a story and make puppets based on the book.

Jazmin Gonzalez and Jennifer Sanchez read Five Little Pumpkins and Pumpkin Pumpkin by Jeanne Titherington to Tina Wilkerson’s second-grade class and Tonya Springer’s kindergarten class. The BSE students made jack-o-lanterns and worked on a pumpkin fact book as their follow-up activity.

Over the past four years, this program has promoted reading throughout the schools and sent the message that high school students believe in the importance of reading and becoming an active part in their community.